The Buccaneers’ defense is turning into the kind of unit that changes games before the offense even gets settled in. After a 16-0 rout of the Falcons in which Tampa Bay intercepted Michael Penix Jr. four times, the Bucs now sit atop the NFL in expected points added on defense. They’re first in EPA/play allowed, and they’ve done it while the pass rush is still finding its full stride.
That’s the part that makes this run even more striking. Rueben Bain Jr. just delivered his best outing of the season with three pressures.
Yaya Diaby was electric in Week 7 before leaving the Falcons game after a three-sack performance. David Walker has cooled off a bit after pacing the team as a pass rusher through the first six weeks.
Calijah Kancey, Vita Vea, A’Shawn Robinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad have all chipped in as the front keeps making quarterbacks feel the heat more and more each week.
But the real story has been the secondary, and especially the two outside corners. Jacob Parrish has been on another level.
According to Sumer Sports, Parrish leads the NFL in pass breakups with 13. He’s tied for third in impact plays with 14 and tied for second in run stops with eight.
Quarterbacks keep testing him, which has created a mix of splash plays and some give-and-take. He picked off his second pass of the season against the Falcons, and his style is exactly what makes him so disruptive: fast, physical, and relentless.
Parrish is the kind of corner who can press, run, tackle, and erase screen plays before they get started. He contests nearly everything thrown his way. Among 75 qualified cornerbacks with at least 250 snaps, he ranks 17th in catch rate allowed at 54.8%, 15th in passer rating when targeted at 69.5, and 16th in EPA/target at -0.075.
Todd Bowles was asked last week about the best part of Parrish’s game and whether it was his ability to attack the ball in the air. Bowles pointed to something deeper.
“No, I think the best part of his game is actually press coverage and vision in zone. I think he does some very good things that way, which gets him jumps on balls.
Yes, he’s very quick and athletic, and he can do all those things, but he has a very smart football mind.”
That football mind shows up in the way Parrish reads route concepts and gets himself into position before the ball arrives. He’s not just reacting; he’s anticipating. His first interception of the season came late against the Packers, when he jumped inside from an outside third in Cover-3 and undercut a seam route from Matthew Golden that looked like it should have been a touchdown.
The numbers aren’t spotless. Parrish has allowed 340 yards and 1.43 per coverage snap.
But that’s part of the package with a corner who plays like a heavyweight in a middleweight body. He’s hunting game-changing plays, and that means opposing receivers have to make difficult catches over and over again.
Some have managed it. Most haven’t.
Zyon McCollum has been just as important on the other side, and he’s answered a rough 2025 with a much stronger season. After signing a three-year, $48 million extension last year, he’s backing up Jason Licht’s faith in him. McCollum is top 10 in completion rate when targeted at 53.1%, yards per coverage rep at 0.6, pass breakups with nine, passer rating when targeted at 30.5, EPA/target at -0.536, and impact plays with 14.
In other words, if there’s a coverage category worth tracking, McCollum is near the top of it.
He’s playing with more confidence, seeing things faster and trusting his eyes. His interception against the Falcons showed that clearly. Atlanta tried to dress up the play with eye candy, using a fake perimeter screen to open up the outside vertical from tight end Charlie Woerner, but McCollum stayed disciplined, read it correctly, and then adjusted his body in the air to make the grab.
That kind of play is why the Bucs’ back end has become such a problem for opposing offenses. With tougher assignments ahead - and the Bears next week looking like the toughest test yet - Parrish and McCollum are giving Tampa Bay a real chance to hold up against even the best passing attacks. And that keeps the Bucs very much in the playoff picture.
In Other News...
Bucs Defense Just Turned A Lost Season Into A Real NFC South Race
After an 0-4 start, the Buccaneers have dragged themselves back into the NFC South conversation by leaning on a defense that has suddenly started to look like a strength instead of a liability. The turnaround has shown up in turnovers and a much sturdier run defense, and it was on display again in a recent shutout of Atlanta that tightened the race at the top of the division.
Tampa Bay now sits close enough to first place that the path is easy to see, even if it is still narrow. The Bucs believe winning the rest of their division games could be enough to carry them into the playoffs, which gives every NFC South matchup a little more weight from here on out. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Face A Yaya Diaby Problem In Playoff Push
The Buccaneers pass rush took a hit at a bad time, with head coach Todd Bowles confirming that Yaya Diaby is dealing with an MCL sprain and is currently sidelined. Diaby has been one of the more important pieces of Tampa Bays defensive front, and his absence adds another layer of pressure as the team tries to keep its playoff push on track.
For now, the Bucs are leaning on younger and less established options to help fill the gap, including rookie Reuben Bain Jr. and David Walker. Tampa Bay has managed to keep moving, but the next stretch will say plenty about how well the defense can absorb the loss if Diabys recovery takes longer than hoped. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Just Gave Fans A Reason To Reopen One Big Debate
The Buccaneers 16-0 shutout of Atlanta gave Tampa Bay something it has not had much of lately: a clean, convincing win built almost entirely on the ground and on defense. Adam Slivons latest Top 10 Takeaways video points to a franchise-record rushing night, with Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell both turning in career-best performances while the passing game was barely asked to do anything at all.
Alex Anzalone, Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish helped make sure the Falcons never found a rhythm, and the result nudged Tampa Bay back to 3-5 with a little momentum heading into Chicago. It also reopened the familiar debate around what this offense should look like when the run game is working this well, especially if the Bucs can keep pairing it with a defense that can take the ball away. [Read more 🡒]